AN-I know this site is full of post iGoodbye fics, but I really wanted to put this up. Oh, and this is REALLY fluffy, just so you all are warned.

Freddie Benson turned the corner of the hall of Bushwell Plaza, pulling the key to his apartment out of his pocket. Just as he was about to turn it in the lock, though, the door across from his opened.

"Freddie!" Spencer exclaimed. "You're home!"

"Yes, Spencer," Freddie said, a bit amused. "I'm home from school at the same exact time that I get home everyday. No need to get so excited."

"Sorry, but it's so boring over here now," Spencer said, leaning against his doorframe. "And lonely."

"I bet," Freddie said sympathetically. "But I'm sure you'll get used to it. You lived here by yourself before Carly moved in with you, didn't you?"

"Well yeah, for like, a year," Spencer shrugged.

"Well what did you do for that year?" Freddie asked.

"Hmm, those were my first sculpting days," Spencer said thoughtfully. "So basically I worked on my art all day while pretending to be busy with law school for my dad."

"Then why don't you work on your sculptures?" Freddie suggested. "That should take your mind off of Carly being in Italy."

"Let's hope so," Spencer said. "Hey, where's Sam? I haven't seen her since last week when Carly left."

Freddie sighed. "She went right home after school again. Spence, I think she's really taking this whole thing hard."

"Carly and her were really close," Spencer nodded. "Like you told me, she just needs to get used to having Carly all the way in Italy."

"I think it's going to take a long time for Sam to get used to that," Freddie said seriously. "She-She really hasn't been the same since Carly's left."

"Well what do you mean?" Spencer asked, concerned. "How's she different?"

"She's just more…out of it," Freddie said. "And she's acting really un-Sammish. Like yesterday, our History teacher assigned us this one page report of our interpretation of the consequences of Free Trade in European countries that was to be handed in today. And today, Sam comes into class with the whole thing done!"

Spencer's eyes widened. "You mean she did a homework assignment?"

"Uh-huh," Freddie nodded.

"Oh man, that is bad," Spencer said.

"And she hasn't even had it in her to abuse Gibby or me," Freddie continued. "She hasn't made any comments about this." He pulled at the strap of the purse-like object that was still serving as his phone case. "And Gibby came into school today wearing a corduroy pant suit and she didn't say one word about it."

"Wow," Spencer said. "Maybe you should go talk to her."

"Me?" Freddie frowned.

"Well yeah, you guys are friends, aren't you?" Spencer said.

"You're friends with her too, though!" Freddie said. "And she'd probably be a lot more willing to talk to you than to me! She doesn't hate your guts, especially after you gave her that motorcycle."

Spencer smiled. "I think right now she needs someone who knows her a little better than I do. Someone like you."

Freddie sighed. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I do," Spencer said. "Besides…I don't think I can really be giving anyone advice on how to deal with Carly moving to a different continent right now."

Freddie nodded. "Alright. I'll go over to her place and see if she wants to talk."

"Good," Spencer said. "Oh, and when you come back, come back over, I'm making meatballs, and I don't want to be stuck eating alone. I've been watching this movie all day about this weird cow man that turns up every time these people turn on their stoves and it's really freaking me out!"

"Um, okay," Freddie frowned. "But maybe we should think about getting you out of the apartment more."

"Ha, ha," Spencer said. But just as he was about to go back into his apartment, he turned to Freddie. "Oh, and by the way…Sam doesn't really hate your guts. You know that, don't you?"

Freddie gave a small smile. "Yeah…I know she has a heart…deep down somewhere in all that stomach."

…..

Freddie walked up Sam's driveway. It was covered in newspapers that were days old and what looked like empty tubs of fried chicken. He didn't see her mom's car, so that meant either it had been impounded again, or she wasn't there. He hoped the latter was true; he figured talking to Sam would be easier if no one else was around.

He reached her front door and knocked.

There was no answer.

"Sam?" Freddie said, knocking again. "You home?"

Again, there was no answer.

Freddie looked back and saw that her motorcycle was parked by the curb in front of the house; Sam was definitely here.

"Sam," he said once more, pounding on the door harder. "I know you're home! Just open up, will you?"

Finally, he heard the lock turn and Sam opened the door. "Yeah?" she said, crossing her arms.

"You busy?" Freddie asked, stepping into the house.

"I was just trying to see if Carly was online so we could chat," Sam said, closing the door behind him. "But I still can't figure out the time difference…She's either just waking up or is just going to bed…I think."

"You talk to Carly a lot?" Freddie asked gently.

"Every day," Sam smiled. "Do you?"

"We've sent a few emails," Freddie replied.

"Well, she just started her new school yesterday," Sam said. "I was trying to teach her a few things in Italian so she wouldn't be completely clueless, but, well…let's just say languages aren't exactly Carly's forte."

Freddie chuckled.

"So," Sam sighed, sitting down on the couch, closing her laptop. "What do you want?"

"I'm worried about you, Sam," Freddie said earnestly, sitting down in the chair across from Sam.

Sam looked at him quizzically. "What?"

"You haven't been yourself since Carly left," Freddie said. "And I know it's only natural for you to miss your best friend; I miss her too. A lot. But…I think-I think that maybe you're taking this whole change a little too hard."

"No I'm not," Sam said firmly. "I'm fine. Like I said; I talk to Carly all the time."

"You are not fine, Sam," Freddie said.

"Yes I am," Sam said.

"No, you're not," he said forcefully, taking Sam back a bit. "I told you…I'm starting to get worried about you. After school, you just come back here. Gibby and I have asked you to come to the Groovy Smoothie three times, and you've always turned us down; even yesterday when Gibby was going to buy us all smoothies with the gift card his mom just got him for going a whole month without any "accidents". And you've been off at school too. I mean for crying out loud, Sam. You did homework!"

Sam didn't reply.

"And you haven't even been over to Spencer's place since Carly left," Freddie continued. "And I know it's because you just can't stand the idea of being there knowing Carly's not going to walk through the door, telling you stop eating the fancy bacon that Spencer's saving for his book club."Sam sighed. "Why do you even care if I'm not exactly fine about all this?"

"What do you mean why do I care?" Freddie said. "You're my friend! Of course I care that you're upset like this!"

Sam looked at him. "But shouldn't you be the one who's upset?"

"What?" Freddie frowned. "I told you, Sam. I am upset. But you know what? I'm going to move on. It's you who seems like she's gone into some deep, dark phase of sadness."

"She was more than that to you, wasn't she?" Sam said softly, looking away from him.

"Well, sure, I guess you can say she was almost my sister-"

"That's not what I mean, Freddie," Sam said. "She's Carly. Carly Shay. The girl across the hall from you who you followed after for years, madly in love with."

Freddie blinked. "Sam? Do-Do you think that I…That I'm still in love with Carly?"

Sam sighed. "I know you two kissed. Before she left."

Freddie was silent for a moment. "Yeah," he said finally. "We did. How did you-"

"Girls talk, you know," Sam said, showing a small smirk.

"Sam," Freddie said, shaking his head. "Carly and I may have kissed…but-but it wasn't a real kiss. It was too friends, saying goodbye. It didn't have any of the passion or feeling behind it that a real kiss would have. It didn't mean anything more to either of us than goodbye from a really good friend."

Sam looked back up at him. "So…then you really aren't in love with her?"

"No," Sam said at once. "Or…maybe. I-I don't know. Everything-Everything just happened so fast. I mean, in one night, my best friend leaves for Italy, and then, while she was talking to me on the plane, I find out that the two of you kissed…It's-It's a lot to take in."

Freddie moved from his chair and sat down on the couch next to Sam.

"Sam," he said softly. "Would it have bothered you if I really was still in love with Carly?"

"No!" Sam said instantly, as though it was a reflex. "When I thought you did…It-It was just…new. I-I wouldn't have cared."

After being friends with Sam for years, Freddie had picked up the skill of being able to know when she was lying to him.

"Well," Freddie said. "I don't know if I would've felt the same way if I were in your shoes."

"Huh?"

"If, say, Gibby was the one moving to Italy," Freddie said. "And I found out that you and him kissed because you were suddenly in love with him…that would bother me. A lot."

"Did you just make up a scenario where I was in love with Gibby?" Sam said, showing a bit of a smile; the first genuine smile Freddie had seen her wear since Carly left.

"It's just hypothetical," Freddie grinned.

"It better be," Sam said. "But-But why would it bother you?"

"Because," Freddie said softly. "Seeing my best friend with someone who I wanted to be with…that's something that would bother a lot of people."Sam blinked. "Someone you want to be with?"

"You know," Freddie said. "What I said on the phone the other day…about wanting to get back together? That wasn't just something that slipped out."

"Wait…so-so you were seriously asking me then?" Sam asked. "If I wanted to get back together?"

"You never gave me a real answer," Freddie said.

Sam didn't reply.

"Sam," Freddie said gently. "I understand if you don't want to do anything right now. Your best friend of almost ten years just moved to another country. I get if you need time to handle that. But I just want you to know that I meant what I said a year ago. I love you. And I've been trying to figure this out ever since we broke up, but I think I finally did. I don't just love you, Sam. I'm in love with you. And whether you want to get back together now, or in a month, or even never, I want you to know that you'll always have me, whether it be as a friend or something more. You don't have to deal with this on your-"

He was cut off by Sam pressing her lips against his. He responded at once, placing his hands on her cheeks, both feeling the tears that were falling from eyes and tasting them as they ran down to her lips.

When they broke apart, Sam quickly wiped them away.

"I miss Carly," she said, trying to level out her shaky voice.

"I know you do," Freddie said. "Everyone does."

"But," Sam continued. "I've missed you too."

Freddie smiled. "I've missed you too…Are-Are you ready to try this again?"

Sam smirked. "We won't have Carly around to referee our fights."

"I know," Freddie nodded. "But maybe that won't matter. In fact, I think Carly would be really happy to hear that we managed to restart our relationship on our own, don't you?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "The kid would probably do one of those girly squeals of hers loud enough for us to hear it all the way back here."